Shocked silence. Luke just sat there frozen for a second, his hang-over addled mind unable to process what Ronan had just said. Then Ronan lunged to his feet. “I-I’ll just g-go,” he stuttered hurriedly, his face flaming. Clearly he thought he’d embarrassed himself thoroughly with his confession.“No! Wait!” Luke cried, coming out of his catatonic state and lunging to his feet. “Don’t go! Please, Ronan!”

Ronan halted, and stood there looking at him uncertainly. He chewed at his lower lip, a sight that made Luke's stomach lurch and his groin stir to life with a vengeance. “Ronan, buddy, you have no idea how happy you just made me when you said that,” Luke began, stepping toward him. “Man, I thought I’d lost my opportunity to ask you out when that Andrew guy got to you first! I was losing it, thinking about him out on a date with you. That's why I’m hung-over; I got drunk last night because I couldn’t even stand the thought that you were out with another guy.”

Luke nodded happily. “Really. Really, really. The truth is, Ronan, I’ve wanted you for myself since the beginning. I just KNEW that if I helped clean you up I’d discover a really adorable guy under all of that hair and behind those ugly glasses, and MAN was I right! You’re so cute I can barely stand it! But I’m pretty sure that I would have wanted you anyway, even if you hadn’t been willing to let me make you over. Your crush on me was so adork-able, the way you stalked me whenever you came in here…”

Luke’s hands came to rest on his shoulders possessively. He chuckled. “Don’t be. I thought it was super cute. Well, maybe a LITTLE creepy at first, until I realized that you just hung around and stared at me and nothing else. Then I knew that you were just totally shy, not a weirdo. That’s when I decided to get to know you better. And I did. And the more I got to know you, the more I liked you. I was just about to ask you out the day that that Andrew guy did, and man was I depressed when you told me you’d said yes! I thought I’d blown it for good. Because what guy wouldn’t want to hold onto somebody like you? But lucky me…you want me, too. I could do a celebration dance right here and now! But instead, I think I’ll do just what you want me to.”

As Ronan peered shyly up at him from under his long, thick eyelashes. Luke bent his head and closed his mouth over Ronan’s in his first ever kiss. He was gentle, not wanting to spook or scare Ronan. There would be plenty of time later to ravage that pink expanse. A soft moan was his reward, and he grinned triumphantly in his own head as his hands closed over Ronan’s slim body, and deepened the kiss just a little. To his joy, he felt arms close over his shoulders as Ronan hung onto him for dear life. This was nirvana! That pink mouth was just as sweet as he’d imagined that it would be. He never wanted to leave it, and except for the pesky need to breathe, he might not have.

He groaned in disgust over reality as he finally pulled back. Ronan was panting, rosy-pink, and dreamy-eyed, which did nothing for his resolution to be gentle, or to stop making out with Ronan in the middle of his workplace. “Jesus,” he breathed, deliberately releasing Ronan and stepping back lest he do something really bad right here and now.

Ronan gulped air, his chest heaving. “Luke,” he gasped, which made him shudder. That breathy bedroom voice! Damn, he was gong to come in his pants at any moment!

“Did you…like your first kiss, Ronan?” he managed to husk.

Ronan nodded, his fingers lifting to caress his own lips. Luke closed his eyes; man, Ronan was deadly! He could make the purest, most chaste saint have dirty thoughts. “That’s good,” he said, still not opening them again. “Does that mean you’ll go out with me if I ask you?”

Startled silence. Then: “Of course, Luke. I’ve wanted to…for so long, but I could never get up the nerve…”

This time he did open his eyes. Ronan was squirming, looking embarrassed again. “Hey, don’t sweat it,” he said gently. “It’s not like you have any experience asking guys out. I do, however, which is why I’m asking you if you want to go on a date with me. How about after I get off of work tonight? We can go to dinner. On a real date, this time.”

Ronan’s face lit up. The sight of it made Luke’s heart beat faster. God, his Ronan was adorable! Yes, HIS Ronan! All his. He really was the luckiest man in the world. Made him want to do a victory lap around the store, stopping to get a blue raspberry slurpee(which he'd drink with a smug smirk on his face). "I'd love to go to dinner with you, Luke," Ronan said softly.

"Okay. It's a date. I get off at five o'clock. I'll go home, change, and come and pick you up at your place. So probably around six. That good for you?"

"Yes," Ronan breathed, sounding happy.

Luke couldn't help himself. He hugged Ronan tightly, resting his chin atop the silky-soft brown hair. "I don't know what I did to deserve this,” he muttered, "But thank you, whoever or whatever sent you into my life."

Luke was in such a good mood after Ronan left the convenience store that he couldn't help humming as he stocked the shelves with Twinkies and Ho-Hos. Man, life was great right now! His hang-over had completely disappeared. It was like Ronan's lips were some magical cure-all. He was looking forward to partaking in more of that cure very, very soon. He had a date, a date, a very important date! And he couldn't wait! Five o'clock was less than two hours away...

"Oh, come on!" Luke wailed, turning begging eyes on his boss. "Please, Andrea, I NEED to be off by five! I have a date tonight!"

"I'm sorry to ask you to do this, Luke," his boss said apologetically, "But there's no one else to call. Both Tony and Kayla are out sick, and Rob's practically on overtime already. I'm sorry about your date, but can't you reschedule it? I'll give you an extra day off this week if you do this for me," she added temptingly.

Well, he liked the sound of that. And he knew that she wouldn't ask if it weren't imperative. But to cancel their first date on Ronan? What if he got the wrong idea? What if he thought that Luke was blowing him off? "Let me call my date and talk to him," he said.

"All right. I'll be back in my office," she left to go into the back, and Luke sighed as he pulled out his cell phone and called Ronan's number.

"Hello?" he heard Ronan say.

"Hi, Ronan, it's me. Luke. I'm calling to tell you that I can't go out with you tonight," he said unhappily.

“Oh," Ronan's voice was small and miserable. Luke winced.

"It's not what you think! I have to work an extra shift here at the store because my co-workers are sick. My boss doesn't have anybody else to work, or I'd definitely be over there in half an hour raring to go! I'm really sorry, Ronan. Can we reschedule for tomorrow night? Please?"

"Oh," this time Ronan sounded much happier. He paused, then said: "Maybe we don't have to reschedule."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I could go and pick up some take-out food and bring it over to your work, and we could eat it there. That’d be sort of a date, right?"

Luke felt warmth spread through his whole body. "Yes, it would," he agreed happily. "That is such a great idea, Ronan! But are you sure you want to come hang out in a convenience store with me as a date? I mean, I'll still have to serve the customers that come in and everything..."

"I don't care," Ronan said firmly. "What kind of food should I get?"

"You rock so hard. Why don't you surprise me? I like most types of food."

"All right. I'll see you soon."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this, Ronan," Luke said sincerely.

"I'll see you in a bit." he hung up, and Luke closed his phone with a feeling of satisfaction. He got to see Ronan tonight after all! he went to tell his boss that he'd work the evening shift, a little bounce in his step.

Luke was ringing up the purchases of a customer half-an-hour later when Ronan walked in, carrying two plastic bags over his arm. He smiled and waved silently at him, telling Ronan to go sit down at one of the tables by the window while he finished up. Ronan nodded and walked over to the first table, setting the bags down on it. Luke rang up the last of the purchases and took the money from the customer, who glanced incuriously at Ronan before picking up his bag and leaving the store.

Luke grinned as he walked over to the table. "What’d you get?" he asked. "I'm starving."

"Mexican. I know this great restaurant that has the best chimichangas," Ronan replied.

"Cool! I love Mexican. And it smells good," Luke said, sniffing appreciatively as he sat down across from Ronan.

Ronan began to pull white-paper wrapped food out of the bags and unwrap the goodies, revealing burritos, chimichangas, and some delicious-looking enchiladas, as well a side of beans and rice and homemade nacho chips. Luke tried not to drool. He hadn't eaten in awhile, and his stomach was rumbling loudly. Ronan glanced up at him, and the laughter dancing in his lovely eyes told Luke that he'd heard that demanding growl. He shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "I really am hungry," he said.

Luke chose some of the enchiladas and a beef burrito, digging in happily. He made appreciative noises as he chewed, then said after he'd swallowed the first bite: "This is really great. You have to take me to this place sometime, Ronan."

Roman smiled slightly. "I will."

They both ate for a bit, saying nothing. Then Luke finished the last bite of the burrito, and sat back in his chair sighing happily. He patted his stomach. "Wow, I’m full," he said.

Ronan laughed softly. "You ate so much," he marveled, looking at the empty wrappers. "Do you always eat like that?"

“Yep,” Luke replied with a grin. "It's a wonder I don’t weigh five-hundred pounds. Fortunately for me, I have a fast metabolism and I work out every day at the gym at the school. I'm a machine by now," he curled his bicep to show off his muscles, which made Ronan laugh aloud. Luke looked at his smiling face and wished heartily that he wasn't at work right now. He'd kiss Ronan so thoroughly that he'd probably pass out. Curse his sick co-workers! Their flu viruses were interfering with his love life!